The North Korean Abduction Project
01/13/24 • 45 min
1 Listener
In late 1970s and early 1980s, Japanese citizens are vanishing without a trace. These are ordinary folks - a high school girl walking home from badminton practice, a couple on a romantic beach stroll, just regular people living their lives.
For years, these disappearances are shrouded in mystery. Families are left wondering, the public is baffled, and there are all sorts of theories floating around but without substantiation.
Fast forward to 2002. In a stunning revelation, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il admits, yes, North Korean agents had abducted these Japanese citizens. Why? This is where it gets chilling. North Korea was using these abductees to train their spies in Japanese language and culture. You're taken from your homeland to become a living textbook for foreign spies.
The number of abductees is a bit murky. North Korea initially admits to 13, but Japan says it could be much higher. Five of these abductees were eventually allowed to return to Japan, but the fate of the others remains a matter of dispute and heartache. North Korea insists some have died or never entered the country, but Japan has long doubted these claims.
This whole saga creates a massive diplomatic storm. It strains North Korea's relations with Japan big time, not to mention the pain and uncertainty for the families involved. Even today, it's a sensitive and unresolved issue, with Japan still seeking answers and North Korea often brushing it off.
Listen to learn about the entire history of the North Korean Abduction Project.
Read MF Thomas' novels
Like Clockwork https://amzn.to/417lOzy
Arcade https://amzn.to/4aTpisx
A Sickness in Time https://amzn.to/41apSPK
Seeing by Moonlight ...
In late 1970s and early 1980s, Japanese citizens are vanishing without a trace. These are ordinary folks - a high school girl walking home from badminton practice, a couple on a romantic beach stroll, just regular people living their lives.
For years, these disappearances are shrouded in mystery. Families are left wondering, the public is baffled, and there are all sorts of theories floating around but without substantiation.
Fast forward to 2002. In a stunning revelation, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il admits, yes, North Korean agents had abducted these Japanese citizens. Why? This is where it gets chilling. North Korea was using these abductees to train their spies in Japanese language and culture. You're taken from your homeland to become a living textbook for foreign spies.
The number of abductees is a bit murky. North Korea initially admits to 13, but Japan says it could be much higher. Five of these abductees were eventually allowed to return to Japan, but the fate of the others remains a matter of dispute and heartache. North Korea insists some have died or never entered the country, but Japan has long doubted these claims.
This whole saga creates a massive diplomatic storm. It strains North Korea's relations with Japan big time, not to mention the pain and uncertainty for the families involved. Even today, it's a sensitive and unresolved issue, with Japan still seeking answers and North Korea often brushing it off.
Listen to learn about the entire history of the North Korean Abduction Project.
Read MF Thomas' novels
Like Clockwork https://amzn.to/417lOzy
Arcade https://amzn.to/4aTpisx
A Sickness in Time https://amzn.to/41apSPK
Seeing by Moonlight ...
Previous Episode
Tracking Terror: the Serial Killer Who Rode the Rails in the Early 1900s
It's probable that the same person committed a series of axe murders between 1898 and 1912 across the United States, including the infamous 1912 Villisca axe murders in Iowa. And, this serial killer appears to have traveled by train to perform these heinous acts. If it were the same person, he was responsible for at least 59 deaths, with the potential to have committed up to nearly 100.
The theory of a single killer hinges on a pattern of behaviors and circumstances: the murders were typically carried out with an axe belonging to the victim, the majority of the murders took place near a train track, the killings were done at night, and the victims were often asleep in their beds.
The Villisca axe murders are the most notorious of these cases; however, with the passage of over a century, definitive answers are likely out of reach, and the true identity of "The Man from the Train" remains a subject of speculation.
Read MF Thomas' novels
Like Clockwork https://amzn.to/417lOzy
Arcade https://amzn.to/4aTpisx
A Sickness in Time https://amzn.to/41apSPK
Seeing by Moonlight ...
Next Episode
The Untold Stories of North Korean Science Fiction
North Korean sci-fi literature and cinema carry unique themes and messages that could only have originated in the Hermit Kingdom. This episode delves into how North Korea imagines a future of scientific and technological supremacy, often portraying the United States as the antagonist. It examines the historical context of North Korean science fiction, its role in promoting the state's ideology, and its imaginative narratives that range from space exploration to advanced robotics, all while emphasizing loyalty to the party and envisioning a utopian socialist future. Through stories and films, we discover a genre that serves both as propaganda and a lens into the hopes and dreams of a nation isolated from the world.
Read MF Thomas' novels
Like Clockwork https://amzn.to/417lOzy
Arcade https://amzn.to/4aTpisx
A Sickness in Time https://amzn.to/41apSPK
Seeing by Moonlight ...
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/my-dark-path-220771/the-north-korean-abduction-project-41836357"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to the north korean abduction project on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy